The practice of making and venerating santos (painted or sculpted images of saints) originated in Spain and was carried to territories that fell under Spanish colonial rule. New Mexican santeros (makers of santos ) developed distinctive approaches that diverged from the models they found in imported oil paintings, statues, and devotional prints. The Santero tradition flourished from the mid-eighteenth to late-nineteenth centuries before falling into a period of decline. Yet it recovered and thri...
Apr 27, 2023•52 min
Dr. Aaron Rosen reflects on an artwork that holds deep personal meaning for him, in a conversation with MOCRA Director David Brinker. This is an Audio Extra to Episode 25: Aaron Rosen . Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Aaron Rosen and to explore our other episodes. Original release date: 3/6/2020...
Mar 06, 2020•6 min
When MOCRA opened in 1993, many people were skeptical about a museum focusing on expressions of religion and spirituality in contemporary art. Preconceptions were firmly lodged for those coming from the perspective of art and for those coming from the perspective of faith and spirituality. By the time Founding Director Fr. Terrence Dempsey, S.J., retired from the museum on June 30, 2019, however, MOCRA had convincingly established that the religious and spiritual dimensions continue to nourish v...
Mar 06, 2020•49 min•Ep. 25
How do you know if you're an artist? Many people would reflexively say they are not, since they cannot draw or paint or sculpt. But in this two-part episode, we hear from several people who have a more expansive understanding of what makes an artist. Their focus isn't on what is produced, but on the act of art-making itself, and the cultivation of an artistic methodology. In Part 1, St. Louis-based artist, author, and educator Con Christeson interviews Federica Thiene. Thiene is an artist based ...
May 25, 2017•58 min
How do you know if you're an artist? Many people would reflexively say they are not, since they cannot draw or paint or sculpt. But in this two-part episode, we hear from several people who have a more expansive understanding of what makes an artist. Their focus isn't on what is produced, but on the act of art-making itself, and the cultivation of an artistic methodology. In Part 1, St. Louis-based artist, author, and educator Con Christeson interviews Federica Thiene. Thiene is an artist based ...
May 25, 2017•34 min
Thanks to her discerning eye and generous hospitality, Martha Schneider has built a reputation as one of the foremost gallerists specializing in contemporary Latin American photography. But 30 years ago, she had no inkling where her passion for art would lead her. She spoke with MOCRA Director Terrence Dempsey, SJ, about the origins of Schneider Gallery and how she came to represent world-renowned artists such as Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Luis González Palma, and Erika Diettes. They also talk...
May 23, 2017•43 min
Leo O’Donovan, S.J., talks about the compelling contemporary resonances he discerns in a painting by Henry Ossawa Tanner, “The Flight into Egypt.” This is an Audio Extra to Episode 22: Leo O'Donovan, S.J. Visit the MOCRA Voices website to explore a Listening Guide to the interview. Original release date: 12/22/2016...
May 18, 2017•8 min
Jesuit priest Leo O’Donovan, S.J., has held some prominent roles, including over 20 years as the president of Georgetown University. But he has also kept up a lively engagement with the world of art and art exhibitions, a fact well known to readers of the periodicals America and Commonweal . O'Donovan spoke with MOCRA Director (and fellow Jesuit priest) Terrence Dempsey, S.J., about his wide-ranging career and his perspective on contemporary religious art. Be sure to listen to the Audio Extra, "...
May 18, 2017•41 min
What impact can art have on those in training to become pastoral caregivers? Cristina Stevens shares reflections from three of her students about their experiences visiting MOCRA. This is an Audio Extra to Episode 21: Art, Empathy, And Healing . Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Cristina Stevens and to explore our other episodes. Original release date: 8/30/2016...
May 18, 2017•7 min
Empathy is a term that surfaces in a variety of fields, including museums. MOCRA Assistant Director David Brinker sets out to explore two different angles on museums and empathy. In Part 1, he talks with museum educator Adam Nilsen about how empathy is understood and studied, as well as the ways it is being applied in museum settings. Part 2 features chaplain and pastoral care educator Cristina Stevens reflecting on the role art and empathy play in the training and practice of those who support ...
May 18, 2017•44 min
Empathy is a term that surfaces in all kinds of settings, including museums. MOCRA Assistant Director David Brinker sets out to explore two different angles on museums and empathy. In Part 1, he talks with museum educator Adam Nilsen about how empathy is understood and studied, as well as the ways it is being applied in museum settings. Part 2 features chaplain and pastoral care educator Cristina Stevens reflecting on the role art and empathy play in the training and practice of those who suppor...
May 18, 2017•36 min
Pamela Ambrose talks about the ways in which art museums can use their collections to enrich the lives of people living with Alzheimer's and their caregivers. This is an Audio Extra to Episode 20: Pamela Ambrose . Original release date: 8/30/2016
May 18, 2017•2 min
Pamela Ambrose and Terrence Dempsey, SJ, discuss the inflatable sculpture Paranirvana , by Bay Area artist Lewis deSoto, a contemporary interpretation of a centuries-old Buddhist shrine. This is an Audio Extra to Episode 20: Pamela Ambrose . Original release date: 8/30/2016
May 18, 2017•3 min
Pamela Ambrose has had a distinguished career as a curator and museum director. On the occasion of her retirement as Director of the Loyola University Museum of Art in Chicago, Ambrose joined MOCRA Director Terrence Dempsey, SJ, to look back over her distinguished career managing both galleries and museums, and talk about her enduring interest in the intersection of art and the spiritual dimension. Be sure to listen to the two Audio Extras, " Lewis deSoto's "Paranirvana" " and " Art and Alzheime...
May 18, 2017•41 min
The multidimensional, abstract paintings, sculptures, and installations of artist Jordan Eagles have caught the imagination of viewers and critics alike. His invented preservation technique, combining blood, plexiglass, UV resin, and other materials, permanently retains the organic material’s natural colors, patterns, and textures. Eagles speaks with MOCRA Director Terrence Dempsey, SJ, about his unusual artistic media and his works’ rich symbolic associations. They also discuss Eagles’ continui...
May 18, 2017•40 min
Howard Fox is well-known in contemporary art circles as a curator and author. MOCRA Director Terrence Dempsey, SJ, speaks with Fox about his approach to curating exhibitions and discerning trends in art-making, as well as the process of writing essays on contemporary art. Along the way they discuss specific artists who engage the religious and spiritual dimensions in their work. Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Howard Fox and to explore a Listening Guide to the interview. Recor...
May 18, 2017•51 min
In 2013, MOCRA celebrated its twentieth anniversary, a perfect time to talk with people who have been affiliated with the museum over the years: those who had a hand in MOCRA’s genesis, artists who have participated in exhibitions at MOCRA, and other participants in the broader dialogue between contemporary art and religion and spirituality. With "MOCRA Memories" we bring you these conversations and reflections. This two-part episode features people involved with MOCRA's groundbreaking 1994 exhi...
May 16, 2017•26 min
In 2013, MOCRA celebrated its twentieth anniversary, a perfect time to talk with people who have been affiliated with the museum over the years: those who had a hand in MOCRA’s genesis, artists who have participated in exhibitions at MOCRA, and other participants in the broader dialogue between contemporary art and religion and spirituality. With "MOCRA Memories" we bring you these conversations and reflections. This two-part episode features people involved with MOCRA's groundbreaking 1994 exhi...
May 16, 2017•32 min
Artists Daniel Ramirez and Buzz Spector were studio mates in the MFA program at the University of Chicago in the 1970s, forging a friendship that has lasted ever since. In this wide-ranging conversation with MOCRA Voices, they trace the evolution of their artistic output over the decades. They touch on the thought of Ludwig Wittgenstein, the music of Olivier Messiaen, divine geometries, book design, and even the finer points of bowing technique. Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about...
May 16, 2017•47 min
MOCRA has been shaped by many people and events over the years. “MOCRA Memories” episodes delve into particular moments in MOCRA’s history. In 2013, MOCRA celebrated its twentieth anniversary, a perfect time to talk with people who have been affiliated with the museum over the years: those who had a hand in MOCRA’s genesis, artists who have participated in exhibitions at MOCRA, and other participants in the broader dialogue between contemporary art and religion and spirituality. In this episode ...
May 16, 2017•38 min
MOCRA has been shaped by many people and events over the years. “MOCRA Memories” episodes delve into particular moments in MOCRA’s history. In this episode, MOCRA director Terrence Dempsey, S.J., reflects on three people who played pivotal roles in the creation and development of MOCRA. He encountered art historian Jane Daggett Dillenberger, theologian John Dillenberger, and art historian Peter Selz during his doctoral studies at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) in Berkeley, California, a le...
May 16, 2017•27 min
Menachem Wecker shares his observations of how religious art fares in the international art market. This is an Audio Extra to Episode 13: Menachem Wecker . Original release date: 5/7/2015
May 16, 2017•3 min
Journalist and author Menachem Wecker has had a long-standing interest in art and religion in contemporary society. He joins MOCRA Assistant Director David Brinker to talk about a wide range of topics, including how he identifies and researches topics for reporting, the role social media is playing in the dialogue between art and religion, and how religious scriptures are interpreted in graphic novel format. Be sure to listen to the Audio Extra, " The Crucifixion Market ." Visit the MOCRA Voices...
May 16, 2017•55 min
Ellen Dissanayake talks about the evolutionary adaptations that contribute to the influence of mothers on their children’s development as artists. This is an Audio Extra to Episode 12: Ellen Dissanayake . Be sure to listen to the other Audio Extra, “ Where Do Book Covers Come From? “ Visit the MOCRA Voices website for a Listening Guide to this Audio Extra. Original release date: 4/24/2015...
May 16, 2017•8 min
Ellen Dissanayake knew that a well-known work by Paul Gauguin was the perfect match for her book. But that was just the beginning. This is an Audio Extra to Episode 12: Ellen Dissanayake . Be sure to listen to the other Audio Extra, “ Every Mother’s Child, an Artist .” Visit the MOCRA Voices website to explore a Listening Guide to the interview. Original release date: 4/24/2015...
May 16, 2017•2 min
Author and scholar Ellen Dissanayake approaches art through the disciplines of evolution and ethology (the biological study of animal and human behavior), and makes a case for art being necessary for the biological survival of the human race. In 1988 her critically acclaimed first book, What is Art For, drew the attention of both the scientific and art worlds with its exploration of the impulse to make art, which Dissanayake calls “making special.” She speaks with MOCRA Director Terrence Dempsey...
May 16, 2017•45 min
Tobi Kahn is a New York-based painter, sculptor, and educator, who for over thirty years has been steadfast in his commitment to the redemptive possibilities of art. MOCRA director Terrence Dempsey, S.J., spoke with Kahn about integrating faith and heritage with his artistic practice, his commissions for public sacred spaces, and how MOCRA has impacted his career. Visit the MOCRA Voices website to learn more about Tobi Kahn and to explore a Listening Guide to the interview. Recording Engineer an...
May 16, 2017•34 min
MOCRA has been shaped by many people and events over the years. “MOCRA Memories” episodes delve into particular moments in MOCRA’s history. In 2013, MOCRA celebrated its twentieth anniversary, a perfect time to talk with people who have been affiliated with the museum over the years: those who had a hand in MOCRA’s genesis, artists who have participated in exhibitions at MOCRA, and other participants in the broader dialogue between contemporary art and religion and spirituality. In this episode ...
May 16, 2017•43 min
Showing how art can be a vehicle for interfaith understanding is a key element of MOCRA’s mission. But MOCRA isn’t the only arts institution exploring that possibility. In this two-part episode, MOCRA Assistant Director David Brinker speaks with Batya Abramson-Goldstein, Executive Director of the St. Louis Jewish Community Relations Council, and Timothy O’Leary, General Director of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Part 1 focuses on Opera Theatre’s 2011 production of the John Adams opera The Death o...
May 15, 2017•34 min
Showing how art can be a vehicle for interfaith understanding is a key element of MOCRA’s mission. But MOCRA isn’t the only arts institution exploring that possibility. In this two-part episode, MOCRA Assistant Director David Brinker speaks with Batya Abramson-Goldstein, Executive Director of the St. Louis Jewish Community Relations Council, and Timothy O’Leary, General Director of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Part 1 focuses on Opera Theatre’s 2011 production of the John Adams opera The Death o...
May 15, 2017•57 min
